Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke paired at PGA Championship

McIlroy and Clarke will be looking to add another major to their collection

Northern Irish duo Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke will play together for the first two rounds of the US PGA Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

In keeping with the tradition that the winners of the first three majors of the year are grouped, they will tee-off at 1845 BST on Thursday with South African Charl Schwartzel.

Tiger Woods will make his major return at the tournament alongside Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Davis Love.

The trio start on the 10th at 1435.

Reigning champion Martin Kaymer of Germany will join South Korean YE Yang and American Shaun Micheel at 1815, while England's world number one Luke Donald is paired with American Nick Watney and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, who are due to begin on the 10th hole at 1425.

Clarke will tee off alongside US Open winner McIlroy and Masters champion Schwartzel 25 days after sealing a three-shot victory in the Open at Sandwich, the first major victory of the 42-year-old's career.

McIlroy's eight-shot triumph at Congressional in June and Schwartzel's two-shot win at Augusta in April were also the respective golfers' maiden major titles.

Woods, who has 14 major victories to his name, made his comeback at this week's Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

The 35-year-old has not played competitively since pulling out of the Players Championship in May because of knee and Achilles injuries.